Pepper mill with cutter and crusher structures



Oct. 5, 1954 NT 2,690,881

PEPPER MILL WITH CUTTER AND CRUSHER STRUCTURES Filed NOV. 15, 1952 i" 3 INVENTOR. 5.5 EA MANTELET- Patented Dot. 5, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIE PEPPER MILL WITH CUTTER AND CRUSHER STRUCTURES France Application November 15, 1952, Serial N 0. 320,652

Claims priority, application France November 28, 1951 8 Claims.

Pepper mills are already known which include a container the bottom of which forms a screen, said container being associated with a helical vane or plate and being driven into rotation while remaining in contact with the screen, through action on the cover of the container, the inner wall of the container being provided along its lower edge with a plurality of recesses each of which is adapted to receive a grain of pepper, while its depth is less than the diameter of those grains the diameters of which are supposed to be the smallest, said recesses being preferably distributed uniformly along the inner periphery of the wall; furthermore, the helical vane defines a passageway the height of which is smaller than the diameter of the smallest grain to be considered and, on the other hand, its outer edge is bevelled so as to form a cutter adapted to shear a grain housed in a recess.

On the other hand, there exist pepper or salt mills, the crushing and screening means of which include on one hand a screening grid revolubly carried at one end of a container and, on the other hand, a series of helical sloping parts formed along the edge of the container and adapted to cooperate with said grid with a View to crushing the material to be screened and to urging it through the grid.

The first of the prior arrangements referred to thereinabove, produces first a preliminary grinding by shearing the grains in the recesses through an action of the edge of the vane, after which the material thus opened is subdivided and screened through cooperation between the helical surface of the vane and the grid. In such prior arrangements and by reason of the movement of the vane and of its connection with the cover forming the control member through the agency of a spindle passing through the container, it is very difficult to obtain an accuracy in the longitudinal clearances that may be suificient to ensure reliable operation,

In the second type of arrangement described, the stress required from the user for the crushing of the pepper grains that have not been sheared previously, is much too considerable.

Now I have devised a pepper mill which removes these drawbacks. It includes, on one hand, a container provided with a cylindrical flange, the outer edge of which is formed into a series of helical slopes that are preferably distributed uniformly along the periphery of the flange and are intended for the crushing of the pepper, while the inner wall of the container is provided adjacent said flange with recesses the depth of which is at the utmost equal to the diameter of the smallest pepper grain to be considered in operation, and the mill includes, on the other hand, a cover capping said flange and revolubly mounted with reference thereto, said cover forming a screen at least in its peripheral part located in register with the helical slope and lastly, at least one cutting member carried by said screen and arranged so as to shear each grain engaging a recess in the container wall.

By reason of this arrangement, the cutting member provides a preliminary grinding of the pepper grain, the particles produced engaging then the crushing slopes, which has for its result a reduction in the energy required from the operator.

On the other hand, the fact that the cutting member is rigid with the screen and is no longer movable with reference thereto, as e. g. in the above referred-to prior embodiment, cuts out the difficulty of obtaining an accurately defined longitudinal clearance. The practicall constant sizes of the parts of the mill are obtained throughout the execution of a series of mills either through the agency of a mold which hardly wears at all, or of a stamping tool the wear of which is reduced.

I have illustrated by way of example in accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment of my invention. In said drawings:

Fig. l is an axial sectional view of an embodiment of a pepper mill according to my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view taken along 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial developed sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of the peripheral portion of the screen showing the location of the recesses with reference to the said screen and to the crushing slopes.

Turning to the drawings, l designates a tubular body made of glass e. g., the inner cylindrical surface of which has a diameter that is slightly larger at each end, while the outer cylindrical surface of the container is provided at one end with an outwardly projecting flange 2 and at the other end with a thread 3. Over said thread 3 is screwed a ring t made e. g. of plastic material and rigid with a cover 5 that is assumed to be made of metal in the example illustrated and that is provided outwardly in its medial portion with an ornamental cap 6.

The tubular body l is provided along its inner wall and at the end corresponding to the flange 2, with a series of recesses I, say four in the case illustrated, the depths of said recesses being in all cases smaller than the diameter of the smallest grain to be considered in the grinding.

The outer edge of the flange 2 is provided throughout its thickness with crushing slopes 8, preferably helical in shape, the number of which is equal to that of the recesses I and that are located in a manner such that the recesses register substantially with the bottom of the slopes.

The flanged end of the body I is capped by a cover 9 forming a screen in its peripheral perforated section; said cover 9 is rigid with a ring I preferably of plastic material, fitted over the outer edge of the cover 9 and provided with an outer thread at Illa, whereby it may be secured revolubly on the body I through the agency of a ring I I engaging said thread and forming a stand engaging the upper surface of the flange 2 with the optional insertion of a round metallic annulus I2 between said ring I I and flange 2, the system inc uding the screen cover 9 and the rings I0 and I I being held in position through engagement of the inner annular projection of the ring I I with the corresponding side of the flange 2.

In the screen-forming cover 9 is stamped a central projection I3 facing the inside of the body I and the flat inner surface of which carries a plate I4 that is secured by means of rivets I5 for instance, to the projection I3; the edge Ma of said plate I4 is bevelled so as to form a shearing member, the spacing of the sharp bevel on said plate with reference to the inner container wall increasing gradually when its periphery is viewed in a clockwise direction in Fig. 2. shearing member is slightly raised with reference to the screen by its positioning over the stamped part I3, so as to further the dropping through gravity of the grains into the recesses 3.

As apparent from inspection of Fig. 2, a pepper grain carried in a recess I is sheared in a perfectly gradual manner, as the body I is shifted angularly by the operators hand, while the other hand of the operator holds the screen fast in position. The two parts of the sheared grain assume sufiiciently reduced sizes for them to engage the space defined between the bottom of the corresponding crushing slope and the screen; they are further subdivided under the action of said crushing slope and are urged thus outwardly through the screen in the usual manner.

What I claim is:

1. A condiment mill, comprising, in combination, a tubular container open at one end and having an annular portion along said open end; a perforated cap rotatably mounted about an axis of rotation on said open end of said tubular container closing the same; annular crushing means arranged coaxial with said axis of rotation on said annular portion of said container forming between itself and said perforated cap an annular crushing chamber in which the condiment is crushed by rotation of said perforated cap relative to said container; and outwardly extending cutting means mounted on said perforated cap inside said container adjacent to said annular crushing chamber, so that during rotation of said perforated cap said cutting means is rotated adjacent and along said crushing chamber cutting open the condiment before it enters said crushing chamber, thereby facilitating crushing thereof.

2. A condiment mill, comprising, in combination, a tubular container open at one end and having an annular portion along said open end; a perforated cap rotatably mounted about an axis of rotation on said open end of said tubular container closing the same; annular crushing means arranged coaxial with said axis of rotation on said annular portion of said container Said r or) forming between itself and-said perforated cap an annular crushing chamber in which the condiment is crushed by rotation of said perforated cap relative to said container; outwardly extending cutting means mounted on said perforated cap inside said container adjacent to said annular crushing chamber; and retaining means on the inner surface of said tubular container in the region of said cutting means for preventing rotation of the condiment to be cut, so that during rotation of said perforated cap said cutting means is rotated adjacent and along said crushing chamber cutting open the condiment before it enters said crushing chamber, thereby facilitating crushing thereof.

3. A condiment mill comprising, in combination, a tubular container open at its top and bottom and having an annular bottom end face recessed so as to form part helical surface portions thereon, and being formed in its inner surface adjacent said bottom end face with a plurality of recesses each opening into one of said part helical surface portions; foraminous screen means mounted on and extending across the bottom end of said tubular container rotatable about the axis thereof, and arranged with its peripheral portion facing and spaced from said annular bottom end face of said tubular container so as to define therewith a crushing chamber; cutting means mounted on said foraminous screen means inside said tubular container for rotation with said screen means, and having a cutting edge adjacent to and facing the inner surface of said container and rotatable in a plane intersecting said recesses for cutting condiment lying in and projecting from said recesses, whereby during rotation of said foraminous screen means said cutting means is rotated adjacent said recesses cutting open the condiment before it enters said crushing chamber, thereby facilitating crushing thereof.

4. A condiment mill comprising, in combination, a tubular container open at its top and bottom and having an annular bottom end face recessed so as to form part helical surface portions thereon, and being formed in its inner surface adjacent said bottom end face with a plurality of recesses each opening into one of said part helical surface portions at the innermost portion thereof; foraminous screen means mounted on and extending across the bottom end of said tubular container rotatable about the axis thereof, and arranged with its peripheral portion facing and spaced from said annular bottom end face of said tubular container so as to define therewith a crushing chamber; cutting means mounted on said foraminous screen means inside said tubular container for rotation with said screen means, and having a cutting edge adjacent to and facing the inner surface of said container and rotatable in a plane intersecting said recesses for cutting condiment lying in and projecting from said recesses, whereby during rotation of said foraminous screen means said cutting means is rotated adjacent said recesses cutting open the condiment before it enters said crushing chamber, thereby facilitating crushing thereof.

5. A condiment-mill comprising, in combination, a tubular container open at its top and bottom and having an annular bottom end face recessed so as to form part helical surface portions thereon, and being formed in its inner surface adjacentsaid bottom end face with a plurality of recesses each opening into one of said part helical surface portions; foraminous screen means mounted on and extending across the bottom end of said tubular container rotatable about the axis thereof, and arranged with its peripheral portion facing and spaced from said annular bottom end face of said tubular container so as to define therewith a crushing chamber; cutting means mounted on said foraminous screen means inside said tubular container for rotation with said screen means, and having a part helical cutting edge adjacent to and facing the inner surface of said container and rotatable in a plane intersecting said recesses for cutting condiment lying in and projecting from said recesses, whereby during rotation of said foraminous screen means said cutting means is rotated adjacent said recesses cutting open the condiment before it enters said crushing chamber, thereby facilitating crushing thereof.

6. A condiment mill comprising, in combina tion, a tubular container open at its top and bottom and having an annular bottom end face recessed so as to form part helical surface portions thereon, and being formed in its inner surface adjacent said bottom end face with a plurality of recesses each opening into one of said part helical surface portions; foraminous screen means mounted on and extending across the bottom end of said tubular container rotatable about the axis thereof, and arranged with its peripheral portion facing and spaced from said annular bottom end face of said tubular container so as to define therewith a crushing chamber; cutting means mounted on said foraminous screen means inside said tubular container for rotation with said screen means relative to said container in a predetermined direction, and having a part helical cutting edge adjacent to and facing the inner surface of said container and rotatable in a plane intersecting said recesses for cutting condiment lying in and projecting from said recesses, the spacing between said cutting edge and said inner surface of said container gradually increasing in said predetermined direction of rotation, whereby during rotation of said formaminous screen means said cutting means is rotated adjacent said recesses cutting open the condiment before it enters said crushing chamber, thereby facilitating crushing thereof.

7. A condiment mill comprising, in combination, a tubular container open at its top and bottom and having an annular bottom end face recessed so as to form part helical surface portions thereon, and being formed in its inner surface adjacent said bottom end face with a plu rality of recesses each opening into one of said part helical surface portions; a screen member mounted on and extending across the bottom end of said tubular container rotatable about the axis thereof, said screen member having an inwardly 6 dished central portion and a perforated peripheral portion and arranged with its peripheral portion facing and spaced from said annular bottom end face of said tubular container so as to define therewith a crushing chamber; cutting means mounted on said central portion of said screen member inside said tubular container for rotation with said screen member relative to said container in a predetermined direction, and having a part helical cutting edge adjacent to and facing the inner surface of said container and rotatable in a plane intersecting said recesses for cutting condiment lying in and projecting from said recesses, the spacing between said cutting edge and said inner surface of said container gradually increasing in said predetermined direction of rotation, whereby during rotation of said screen member said cutting means is rotated adjacentsaid recesses cutting open the condiment before it enters said crushing chamber, thereby facilitating crushing thereof.

8. A condiment mill comprising, in combination, a tubular container open at its top and bottom and having an annular bottom end face recessed so as to form part helical surface portions thereon, and being formed in its inner surface adjacent said bottom end face with a plurality of recesses each opening into one of said part helical surface portions; a screen member mounted on and extending across the bottom end of said tubular container rotatable about the axis thereof, said screen member having an inwardly dished central portion and a perforated periph eral portion and arranged with its peripheral portion facing and spaced from said annular bottom end face of said tubular container so as to define therewith a crushing chamber; cutting means mounted on said central portion of said screen member inside said tubular container for rotation with said screen member relative to said container in a predetermined direction, and having a part helical cutting edge adjacent to and facing the inner surface of said container and rotatable in a plane intersecting said recesses for cutting condiment lying in and projecting from said recesses, the spacing between said cutting edge and said inner surface of said container gradually increasing in said predetermined direction of rotation; and a cover closing the top of said tubular container, whereby during rotation of said screen member said cutting means is rotated adjacent said recesses cutting open the condiment before it enters said crushing chamber, thereby facilitating crushing thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 459,854 Maillot Sept. 22, 1891 2,074,795 Mantelet Mar. 23, 1937 2,184,719 Mantelet Dec. 26, 1939 

